Window AC units freezing up in winter

[Guest]

Damn I just got a new 12000 BTU AC and today was the first time she froze up on me,I've always had this problem before but never found a remedy.I run my AC 24 hours a day,and a lot of times early in the morning when the outside temp is cooler than the units setting,I get about 1/4 inch of ice buildup on the metal grate.Its a drag,sometimes if I turn the fan and temps all the way up,it'll melt itself,sometimes I have to rearragnge a bunch of plants to work my way back there and put a blow dryer on it.At least I'm here to take care of it or I'd be screwed for sure.Anyone have any ideas how this could be avoided every year?EDIT I should have added this happens when the lights come on,not when its dark

 

[Buzzsmirk!]

BUMMER

BUMMER

hi "skull" , i have been away for awhile (lotsa work/biz).

i have a window shaker about the same size in my shop location and somesimes it'll freeze up but ussually in warm humid weather but as your grow room is warm and humid

if u go to the A/C supply house and get ya a can of the coil cleaning shit that foams up and then use a garden sprayer w/ water and a wet/dry vac w/ a small tip to rinse the cleaning foam and the crap it shook lose off your coil.
that has worked for me. i think the crap that builds up absorbs the condensate(water) before it can drain off the coil to your drain pan and when ur compressor cycles it freezes it thus cathin more water etc...
make this into a maintenance proccess that you do on a schedule if it works far ya!!
also make sure u r draining ur pan sometimes they plug up and the pan fills w/ water contributing to ur freeze over.
if that stuff does not cure ur problem then i would suspect the refrigerant it not at the correct volume/pressure in ur system and/or compressor problems.
hope to have been of some help
BUZZ!

 

[HIDEyourBUD]

Try removing the AC from the window and turning it into a mobil unit within your room. There are lots of threads with people doing that and the room temps will keep ice from building up.

 

[stevr59]

and lets not forget the water that come from the condenstae drain is disstalled water.

 

[Guest]

Ha ha buzz I think it may have been you a couple years ago that gave me that same advice,I did use it on my old unit but it still seemed to freeze up.This unit is about 3 weeks old man,there is no crud buildup yet.One thing I just noticed,this morning the outside RH is 100% and today was the first time it did this.Its been real cool here high 40s at night but it didnt do it until this morning.

 

[Guest]

this doesn't relatate to your question, and mine might be a stupid one........but are you in an area where people would notice an AC unit in your window running........in the winter? would that raise any eyebrows? or are you away from stuff enough that no one would even look/see?

 

[Ganico]

Why not just use the cold air from outside, instead of running the AC??????

That's the part I don't get

 

[imnotcrazy]

Yeah skeletor, my cabs are in a room and I just leave the window cracked. The fans pull enough air throught the cabs to keep them mid to low 70F's. Only you ues CO2 right? Try a dehumidifer in the room instead maybe.

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Any chance that spraying anti-freeze on the coils would prevent it from icing up?

 

[TGT]

Skeletor, I had the same problem happen with a new air conditioner. My problem was that it was not tilted on the proper angle to let the condensation release out the back. I don't know if this is your problem but it was with mine. I just made sure it was tilted back slightly and my problem was solved. I hope it works for you. Good luck and let us know.

TGT

 

[Ms.Grat3ful]

this doesn't relatate to your question, and mine might be a stupid one........but are you in an area where people would notice an AC unit in your window running........in the winter? would that raise any eyebrows? or are you away from stuff enough that no one would even look/see?

some A/C's these days double as heat units...
....

 

[imnotcrazy]

IDK about antifreeze, besides the smell may attract animals. Try draining the drip pan as suggested, *Most* A/Cs now have a ring on the fan that throws water onto the condenser coil to aid in cooling. Get rid of the water in the drip pan, drill a hole in the lowest point of the pan. Make sure it is a hole you can plug tho as the water on the coils aids in cooling in the hotter months.

 

[Bigmone357]

Even though they heat & cool they still look suspicious IN THE WINTER IMHO

Even though they heat & cool they still look suspicious IN THE WINTER IMHO

this doesn't relatate to your question, and mine might be a stupid one........but are you in an area where people would notice an AC unit in your window running........in the winter? would that raise any eyebrows? or are you away from stuff enough that no one would even look/see?

Yeah I had that same ? when I read this lol I'd be noid runnin a/c in the winter they got big cajunas!

 

[Guest]

Like the deadhead said,the bigger units are AC/Heat,I have 1 in the living room no central heat and air here.It didnt freeze up this morning,it is tilted half a bubble off,maybe I should make it a full bubble.We had 100% humidity yesterday morn which may have something to do with it.My neighbors are mind your business type folks,its a cool situation.I've been running my AC's like this for five years now,the only time I turn a lot of stuff off is the day they read my meter lol.My flowerroom has co2 with lights on at 85 degrees,I want about a 15 degree drop during lights out and I want a CONSISTANT atmosphere,I cant do this if I dont utilize my AC 24 hours a day.Its actually working out too perfectly since I dumped my portable unit,I set m,y window unit on low speed at 72 degrees and leave it there day and night,when the lights are on I'm at 85 degrees under each vertizontal,when they go off it drops to 72 degrees.I couldnt crack my window anyway as I'd have to be on crack to do that lol and the window is "blacked out" with black plastic.Keeping the AC goping year round gives me a totally encapsulated little world where I can control every aspect of the environment.I also use a dehumid 24 hours a day normally set at 40% RH.I pull slightly over 2 gallons a day out of an 8 by 8 room with the AC running!Thats a lot of morning dew folks

 

[vinmanr2d2]

i did not read all the posts yet but did anyone suggest spraying the coils with WD-40. GOOD LUCK

 

[Guest]

ms greatful: thanks for clearin that up i was just curious about it because im rather uninformed about A/C units. wasn't tryin to be a smartass about it, just workin on understanding the situation.

 

[imnotcrazy]

I'd say 2 gallons a day is alot of dew for sure. Try running the fan on high during those humid times and allowing the pan to drain completly in colder months. The fan on high will keep warm air moving over the cold coils and will help in preventing freez-ups

 

[Guest]

Well thats 2 days in a row with no problem,I dont hink this new unit is going to give me the headache my last one did.Its true about the fan on high,how I used to defrost it before(nearly every day lol) was to use my remote control and put it on high fan at the highest temp,that would normally melt the ice buildup then it would work normally.I've had this unit about a month and its only happened once,I think I'm cool

 

[imnotcrazy]

Yeah and keeping the air moving faster across the coils will prevent ice buildup by helping remove water and keeping them warmer